Out Of Control
by FaithinBones
Summary: When you are out of control anything can happen.


(Before the Future in the Past)

I really don't own Bones.

Oooooooooooooooooooo

The day had been hot and muggy and Bill Lassiter was grateful that it had started to rain. He hoped that it would help his sinus headache. He always got a headache when ragweed season hit the area and the lack of rain for the last two weeks meant that the air was heavy with ragweed pollen.

Weary from a long day at the box factory, Bill had stopped by the Broken Wheel Bar for a Coke and to check up on his son who was the bartender there. His Coke finished he paid for the soda leaving his son a small tip and then left the building. As he placed his key into the lock of his car, he felt a gun pressed in the middle of his back and he suddenly felt sick. "I'm not a rich man, but you can have my wallet and whatever else you want."

The gunman pressed his weapon harder into the man's back. "I want you to slowly walk around this car and out into the woods behind the bar. I'm going to be right behind you."

Afraid, Bill pulled his keys out of the lock and slipped them in to his jeans pocket. "Are you going to kill me?"

He was answered with a sharp poke in his back. "I will kill you right now if you don't do what I say."

Trembling with fear, Bill sidled down the length of his car and then trudged across the back of the puddled parking lot into the woods. As he moved between the damp trees, the leaves above him dripped water on his head and shoulders causing him to feel cold. He heard enough noise behind him to know that he was being followed, so he walked slowly and hoped that he was going to survive whatever was going to happen next.

"Stop."

Bill stopped and waited for further instructions. "If I did you wrong I'm sorry. I'm trying to live a good life now. I know I was a terrible person in the past, but . . . anyway, I'm sorry if I hurt you in anyway."

"You were a foster parent." The gunman spoke quietly but loud enough for Bill to hear him. "Twenty years ago you fostered a young girl named Temperance Brennan."

A feeling of guilt and nausea sweeping over him, Bill stared at the ground and nodded his head. "Yes . . . I was horrible to that child. I . . . are you here to punish me for what I did to her?"

"You almost killed her you sorry son of a bitch." Furious and almost out of control, the gunman fought to keep from pulling the trigger. "She was just fifteen years old and because she broke a damn plate you locked her in the trunk of your car as punishment. She almost died . . . she . . . You're a damn sadist."

Tears sliding down his cheeks, Bill sniffed. "I was a damn drunk. I was a disgusting drunk with no patience and . . . when I sobered up a few hours later and I realized what I did to that child, I released her from the trunk and I called an ambulance. I was arrested and I served time for what I did. I deserved it too . . . I was out of control. I hurt Temperance, I hurt my wife and my son. I hurt so many people . . . I was disgusting and . . . and what I did to that poor girl finally turned me around. I almost murdered that girl all over a damn dish. I'll never be able to fix that . . . never. But I'm trying . . . I joined Alcoholics Anonymous and I've been through the twelve steps program."

His breath hard but even, the gunman shook his head. "You almost murdered her. You're just making excuses for what you did."

Slowly shaking his head, Bill reached up and wiped the tears from his face. "No. I'm not making excuses. I'm just explaining. There is no excuse possible for what I did to Temperance or my family. All I can do is try to be a better guy and ask for forgiveness. I wrote Temperance a letter a few years ago, but she's a famous author and I know she probably didn't read it. I wanted to apologize for I what I did to her, but . . . anyway I'm sober now. I haven't drunk anything except water and tea and soda since I was arrested and I was thrown in prison. I'm trying . . . I try every day to be a good man and I know that doesn't change what I did in the past, but at least I'm trying . . . I'm trying really hard every day to be a good man."

Silently, the younger man moved around to face the old man. "She has terrible nightmares because of you. She wakes up and she thinks she's in the trunk of that car and she's dying . . . she cries . . . she cries because of what you did to her."

More tears escaped Bill's eyelashes. "I'm so sorry . . . I'm old and I've made so many mistakes in my life, some of them really terrible . . . When I drank, I beat my wife and my son so much that they were terrified of me . . . I've finally made peace with my family and they forgave me. Why I don't know, but they have . . . If you want to kill me then I guess you have to. I just hope it's the right thing because once you kill me you can't take it back. I don't want you or anyone else to suffer for the shit I've done. I'm not worth it." Bravely, Bill looked into the stranger's hard brown eyes. "It's okay. Go ahead and kill me if you have to. If it will help you then go ahead. I'm ready to meet my maker . . . I forgive you, so it's okay."

The dripping water from the leaves the only sound to be heard in the silence that followed, Booth finally lowered his gun. "She's had horrible things done to her in her life and she didn't deserve any of it."

Bill nodded his head. "I keep up with the news. I know that Temperance is wanted by the law for murder . . . I told my wife that there is no way that she's guilty. Even though I only knew her for a few months I could see what kind of a person she was. I've followed her career and I was so glad to see how successful she became. Mary and I both agree that there is no way someone like Temperance could kill anyone. We figure she's being set up, but . . . well, we hope so anyway. We pray for her every Sunday at Church and Mary and I light a candle for her. We pray that she'll be okay and she'll be proved innocent."

Not sure what he wanted to do, Booth stared at the old man standing before him. "I came here to kill you. I've listened to her cries in the night for a long time and it breaks my heart to hear it . . . She's gone right now and I don't know where she is or if she and my baby are even alive . . . I wanted to make you pay for what you did to her. Someone needs to pay for what they've done to her."

Slowly nodding his head, Bill sighed. "All I can do is apologize. It isn't enough I know, but I am sorry for what I did. If I had been a better man back then . . . well, I can't change the past. I was separated from my wife for ten years. She finally took me back, I still don't know why and my son . . . my son is such a kind and gentle soul. He finally forgave me too and I have a relationship with him now. What I did to Temperance was really awful, but what I did forced me to change my life and it allowed me to make it right with my family. I hope someday that Temperance will forgive me, but if she doesn't then that's okay too. I am really sorry that I was such a bastard to her. I really am."

Booth placed his gun back in the holster he kept on his belt. "My old man was a drunk and he beat me and my mother and brother whenever he was in one of his damn moods."

"I'm sorry." And Bill really was. He felt the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I'm sorry that anyone has to deal with shit like that."

Silence once more settled between them. After a few moments, Booth walked around the old man and slogged through the wet leaves back to where his car was parked.

Surprised that he was going to live another day, Bill rubbed his eyes and slowly followed Booth back towards the parking lot. "I'm sorry and I don't blame you for coming after me. I hope Temperance comes home to you real soon."

Abruptly stopping, Booth turned to face the former drunk. "She will come back to me some day and I'll tell her that I saw you and you're sorry for what you did. Maybe it will make a difference I don't know."

Bill nodded his head. "This is between you and me. If someone treated my Mary like I did Temperance, I'd be tempted to do something to the guy too. I've spent the last five years making up to Mary for what I did to her and I will continue to do so until the day I die. When you love someone you want to make them happy. I forgot that when I drank, but I know it now and I won't forget just like you won't forget."

While they stood facing each other the rain started to come down once more making the leaves bend under the weight. As the water dripped steadily upon the two men, Booth realized that he had let himself lose control. His life was turned upside down and he wasn't sure if it would ever be right again, but he did know one thing. He had almost murdered a man and that wasn't who he was. "I won't be back."

"I'm sorry that things are bad for you right now." Bill didn't know what to say, but he knew that the man standing before him was in pain. "I'll pray for you and I'll continue to pray for Temperance and your child. I really hope that everything turns out alright."

"So do I." Booth turned and continued back to his car. Even though this night had not ended the way he thought it would, he was satisfied. He'd confronted one of Brennan's terrors from her past and had discovered a repentant old man filled with remorse. "She will come back to me and she and our daughter will be a family again."

Ooooooooooooooooo

Any good? Let me know what you think of my story. Thank you.


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